“We've been using the Biodex Multi-Joint System for a variety of research studies over the last several years. All told, we have been extremely happy with the system's performance, flexibility, and expandability.

In terms of setting up the subject, the adjustability of the chair and motor allow for the system to be positioned in almost any configuration, including experimental paradigms targeting the upper and lower extremities. This has made testing subjects with neurological injuries such as stroke and SCI easy and safe. In regards to testing subjects, the various control modes of the MJS have allowed us to impose movements necessary for studying spasticity, reflex function, and range of motion, as well as apply constant loads for isotonic experiments. With the recent release of the Research Tool Kit from Biodex, we can now impose a greater range of positional perturbations, which is extremely important when trying to identify pathological behaviors such as muscle properties, spasticity, weakness, and tone.

To date, we have utilized the Biodex MJS to pursue numerous research studies. These include studying multi-joint spasticity in the lower extremities of hemiparetic stroke patients; combining the MJS with Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to investigate the effects of muscle contractions against variable loads in building muscle mass and bone density after spinal cord injury; studying changes in muscle properties following spinal cord injury; and quantifying strength and coordination in the hemiparetic stroke subjects.

As Director of the Center for Applied Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Research (CABRR) at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, I believe that any equipment we use in our research program must be safe, flexible, and easy to use. Without question, the Biodex MJS excels in all of these categories, making our research program more efficient and productive over the last three years. I highly recommend the Biodex MJS for anyone involved in human subject research.”